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Price of WWII named USMC Bronze Star?


Brig
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I'm toying with the notion of adding a nice named WWII USMC Bronzed Star to the collection. I know named ones are hard, so might have to settle for attributed. I also know the battles correlate with the values. How much have you guys been seeing these go for? I rarely see them. Primary battles that interest me are Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima

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In almost 30 years of collecting medals, I have never seen an officially hand engraved USMC Bronze Star. I have seen quite a few named USMC Silver Stars. I have seen a couple of WWII Posthumous USMC BS/PH groups and in both the BS's were not named. It makes me wonder if for some reason the USMC did not engrave Posthumous Bronze Stars . I have seen 2-3 USN engraved examples though .

 

If engraved " Name only" on the back, I would guess the award to be from the US Army.

 

Kurt

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I've seen the Silver Stars. how about attributed prices then?

 

I all depends on the action and what you have attributing it. An original citation is optimal. An un-named un-attributed WWII USN contract BS medal in a box starts out at $250 .

 

Kurt

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I think the last wrapped broach USN BS without box I saw on eBay went for about 300...it was nice though

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while we're on the subject, is there a source that states how many Bronze Stars were awarded for each battle in WWII?

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I don't think that the Bronze Star was authorized to the Marine Corps until 1944, That would eliminate

Guadalcanal and Tarawa.

 

The earliest one I have was to a M/Tech Sgt. (Combat Photographer) for Guam (1944)

 

Bill

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no retroactive awards? hmmm...I learn something new everyday. is there a book on these things?

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I have seen a Navy Officer (Doctor) group with a retroactive BS for Pearl Harbor and I have had a retroactive BS group

to a USMC Officer for Tarawa, so retroactive awards are out there, just not very common

 

Bill

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Hey Guys

 

I'm with Kurt in this one...

 

I haven't seen a single posthumously named WWII USMC Bronze Star medal in all the years I've been collecting medals and gallantry groupins. However, I do have a posthumously named Vietnam USMC Bronze Star grouping in my collection and was quite excited to find it.

 

WWII USMC Bronze Star groups seem to be fairly obscure. I do have a really nice non-posthumous WWII USMC Bronze Star grouping that I picked up because it had some original papers, photos, and a named USMC Good Conduct medal so its a fairly complete grouping.

 

Come to think of it, I've seen many more WWII USMC Silver Star groupings over the years and I have a handful of these types of groups to include at least one posthumous WWII USMC Silver Star/Purple Heart pair...go figure !!

 

Good luck in your quest...one will pop up when you least expect it !!

 

Vic

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I would say anywhere between the 250 to 300 dollar range.

 

But it is a tough item to put a price on. Because usually by the time I see one, its already been sold and if its at an auction it could have gotten sold for more than its value or less depending on how badly someone wanted it.

 

So its hard to say.

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Wharfmaster

I have a Bronze Star group to a Marine officer for Guadalcanal (confirmed with original paperwork). A late award, he received it in 1952 if I recall. It is an Army issue type and is unnamed. I assume it was awarded when the Marines did a records check on him at the time and found he was recommended for an award.

 

The Wharfmaster

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  • 6 years later...
Kurt Barickman

I have a rather large USMC 2nd Division officer grouping which he was awarded the BS and three copies of the original citations for Tarawa and Saipan and I personally acquired this group from the daughter but the Bronze Star is the Army type unfortunately.

 

Kurt

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Talk about a blast from the past.

 

A few months after starting this thread I added a mounted medal grouping, along with citations and 40+ pounds of ephemera, to a Bronze Star w/V recipient who earned his at Iwo Jima

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Kurt Barickman

Talk about a blast from the past.

 

A few months after starting this thread I added a mounted medal grouping, along with citations and 40+ pounds of ephemera, to a Bronze Star w/V recipient who earned his at Iwo Jima

Found it and posted my information that related to the topic. Glad that it worked out for you and please post that group if you have not done so!!

 

Kurt

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